Gebicki (WY) 15-2

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/200 ... -17-07.txt

Top vaulter
Justin Gebicki owns that record at East

By Jeremiah Johnke

spt3@wyomingnews.com

CHEYENNE - It didn't take Justin Gebicki long to set his sights on Cheyenne East's pole vault record.

"When I was a freshman, the seniors told me they'd come back and beat me up if I didn't break the record before my senior year," Gebicki joked Tuesday.

The junior didn't waste any time setting a new standard, clearing 15 feet, 2 inches Friday at Laramie's Shine Invitational.

Gebicki bettered Pat Rankin's 12-year-old mark by two inches in the first of the indoor track and field season.

For that, he has been named Wyoming Tribune-Eagle Prep Athlete of the Week by the sports staff.

Gebicki got some unwanted time off from practicing his craft this summer when he broke his collarbone while racing dirt bikes at a friend's house. He had been cleared to practice just a month before Friday's meet.

The injury did little to stunt his progress.

"He already has improved six inches from last year to this year," coach Tim Woodard said. "He is constantly improving. He went up a foot between his freshman and sophomore seasons.

"He keeps getting better. It's a credit to how hard he works. He's constantly in the weight room and he works on pole vaulting a lot. He's working on other events, but pole vault is clearly his passion."

Gebicki spends much of his off-season honing his skills with Phil Raybuck, who coaches many area pole vaulters and conducts camps at his home pole vault pit during the summer.

Gebicki also videotapes each workout and reviews it with Raybuck and his father.

With the school record out of the way, Gebicki said he is turning his attention to crossing other goals off of his to-do list, namely breaking the 16-foot mark.

He has cleared 15-8 in practice and tried to go higher than 15-2 at the University of Wyoming's War Memorial Fieldhouse on Friday, but he was too tired to make more than two attempts.

"It's great that I was able to get (the school record) out of the way so early in the season," Gebicki said. "It has been a goal of mine for a while, and it allows me to move on to the next one.

"I'd like to break 16 feet and be nationally ranked in the top 10. I'm just looking to go as high as I can."